Started working out last week and lowering calories but not losing weight

Hi all. I started getting serious with MFP last week, and am using The Firm videos to help burn calories and build muscle. I'm 218 right now, and I am so frustrated with being this big! When I finish my calorie count for the day I see that if I have about 300 calories hanging out there not consumed, I will lose about 2 pounds a week. Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me as to how long I can expect to see results? I know I shouldn't be in such a hurry to lose 75 pounds, but I want to be looking good for Christmas, 2015. Cheers!

Replies

  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
    You are on the right path so focus on losing a little at a time (you gained a little at a time right??.
    Lots of good community members can help you along the way.
    I lost about 2 lbs a week for three months. I ate pretty much to the suggested number that MFP recommended so be strict with the eating part of your new lifestyle and it will work out for you.
    Exercising will definitely not hurt.
    Good luck
  • rbarnette24
    rbarnette24 Posts: 6 Member
    I just started using MFP as well. It's been 36 days and I've lost 13.5 lbs. I've seen a lot of post saying to weigh the food , so I've ordered a food scale . I've seen a decrease in the weight loss over the last 2 weeks so I'm hoping the scale will help me more accurately count my calories. I can tell much of a difference in my body with only losing 13lbs. I did read you won't notice a difference until somewhere around 30/40lbs are lost. I'm sure with hard work and dedication you'll meet the 75lb loss by December . Good Luck !
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    I'm a bit confused because your title says not losing weight, but your post sounds like you are saying you lose 2 lbs a week as long as you eat 300 calories less than MFP suggests to you?

    1. Drink a lot of water, get enough sleep.
    2. Seconding to buy a food scale. It makes the tracking a lot more accurate.
    3. Ensure you're not forgetting anything. (Condiments, added sugar/milk/cream in coffee, oil used when cooking, candies or sugary gum, are common/easy ones to forget.)
    4. Find ways to increase your lifestyle activity. Meaning workouts are fantastic, but also, walk more, take the stairs, practice an exercise move you like while waiting for the toaster, have a short solo dance party, add a little morning or evening gentle yoga, etc. Get creative and find stuff that's fun and "you".
    5. Sometimes plateaus happen because we are making gains in our workouts. So take photos, take measurements, etc. Feel your body. Pay attention when you do things, to how it feels and how you perform. Look at your skin. And when you see any progress on any of these fronts, really take the time to appreciate that and be proud and congratulate yourself. (aka don't define your whole view of yourself and your progress by the scale)
    6. Remember that you would not be happy with how you look if you lost weight rapidly. Your skin would not take it well, and so you'd not have the body you're envisioning.
    7. Find a lot of things to look forward to, and do some nice things for yourself. Change your hair, buy workout clothes that make you happy, get yourself a fancy water bottle, plan a trip to something (I recently went to the aquarium), set new (reachable) fitness goals (then celebrate when you hit them), whatever. Keep busy, keep positive, treat yourself well, add more awesome to your life. It'll help you not get down when things don't seem to be moving at the pace you'd like.
  • I started January 15th I weighed in at a whopping 199 - the heaviest I have ever been. I'm down to 182 and I can't see it.
    because I'm so heavy it will take me another 20 pounds to start seeing it.
    I do an hour cardio everyday and stay under 1200 calories-
    I have on 2 occasions gone over the 1200 calories which I felt horrible about the next day
    But I've slowly learned portion control
    I have realized that without the exercise my weight doesn't come off as fast.
    My goal is to get to 130 which was my weight 11 years ago when I got married.
    I've given myself 8 months to do this

    Keep up the good work and remember to add a bit more excersice to your program
  • Great of you to make the decision to lose weight.

    Remember, that in order to lose a pound, you need to burn about 3500 calories more than you consume...so to lose 2 pounds per week, you need to have a net deficit (after workouts) of about 1,000 per day, every day.

    I put in a weight loss of 1.5 pounds per week, plus my sedentary life style...that way I feel even better when I consume less than MFP suggests.
  • Hi all. I started getting serious with MFP last week, and am using The Firm videos to help burn calories and build muscle. I'm 218 right now, and I am so frustrated with being this big! When I finish my calorie count for the day I see that if I have about 300 calories hanging out there not consumed, I will lose about 2 pounds a week. Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me as to how long I can expect to see results? I know I shouldn't be in such a hurry to lose 75 pounds, but I want to be looking good for Christmas, 2015. Cheers!

  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited February 2015
    Patience, Grasshopper.
    You didn't gain the weight quickly, you're not going to lose it quickly.
    Also remember that weight loss is not linear.
    Here's a newbie help post, with links to helpful info such as sexypants, realistic goal setting (weight, calories, macros), motivation/encouragement ...

    If your 75 lb loss would put you at a healthy weight, it would be reasonable to lose up to 2 lb per week at first. That takes being 1000 calories under your maintenance level for that weight. Adjust as needed as you're losing.
    When you get closer to goal, the loss will slow, and in the last 20 lb or so dropping 0.5 lb per week will be a victory. (And you should be eating closer to your goal calories too.)

    As long as you are eating less than what your body needs for maintaining your current weight, you will lose weight.

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  • 1-2 loss is good. Your loss will depend on a few variables. Be sure to consume enough water. Divide your current weight in half, the result is the minimum water you need DAILY. You will need to add additional water for what is lost furing activities.